|
|
|
RFE/RL Newsline, 02-08-19
CONTENTS
[01] KREMLIN MUM ON REPORTED IRAQ DEAL...
[02] ...AS SKEPTICS DOUBT SUCH PLANS...
[03] ...AS SIBNEFT LOOKS TOWARD KUWAIT
[04] RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN PREMIERS HOLD TALKS
[05] KREMLIN HINTS IT MIGHT SHELVE FRAMEWORK TREATY WITH GEORGIA
[06] RUSSIA DENIES VISA TO DALAI LAMA
[07] PUTIN PROMISES SUPPORT TO SUKHOI
[08] PUTIN PLAYS HOST FOR SPANISH KING
[09] GOVERNMENT READY TO LIBERALIZE PRECIOUS-METALS AND DIAMOND MARKETS
[10] RUSSIA TO HELP EUROPE RECOVER FROM FLOODING
[11] BUS DISASTER KILLS 24
[12] FELON MOVES INTO LEADING POSITION IN NIZHNII POLL
[13] NATIONALIST LEADER WANTS TO HELP RUSSIANS RETURN HOME...
[14] ...AS NATIONALISTS TO OBLITERATE FASCISTS
[15] ELEVEN YEARS ON, RUSSIANS PONDER THE COUP
[16] ON ANNIVERSARY OF FINANCIAL CRISIS, PUBLIC FEARS A REPETITION...
[17] ...AS GOVERNMENT CERTAIN THAT RECOVERY IS COMPLETE
[18] FAR EAST LEGISLATORS CALL FOR EXTENDING PUTIN'S TERM
[19] NEW FIGHTING IN CHECHNYA TRIGGERS CIVILIAN EXODUS
[20] PLANS APPROVED FOR REBUILDING CHECHEN CAPITAL
[21] CORRECTION
[22] ARMENIAN RULING PARTY REJECTS ELECTION CRITICISM
[23] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN CALL FOR REOPENING BORDER WITH ARMENIA
[24] FORMER PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PRESSURE ON AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES
[25] THREE KILLED BY MINE ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER
[26] GEORGIA DENIES MAINTAINING CONTACTS WITH CHECHEN PRESIDENT
[27] RANSOM DEMANDED FOR ABDUCTED GEORGIAN OFFICER
[28] GEORGIAN SECURITY COUNCIL MULLS SENDING TROOPS TO PANKISI...
[29] ...AS RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER QUESTIONS SENSE OF GEORGIAN
[30] JOURNALIST BEATEN IN KAZAKHSTAN
[31] UZBEKISTAN TIGHTENS SECURITY IN RUN-UP TO INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY
[32] WORLD BANK TURNS DOWN UZBEK REQUEST TO FUND RIVER-DIVERSION
[33] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENTIAL AIDE SAYS RUSSIA'S INTEGRATION PROPOSAL IS
[34] BELARUSIAN WOMEN'S PARTY HEADS TOWARD SPLIT
[35] BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION ACTIVIST RELEASED FROM JAIL...
[36] ...WHILE EIGHT OTHERS RECEIVE COURT WARNINGS
[37] OUR UKRAINE MAY JOIN OPPOSITION IF UNABLE TO FORM COALITION
[38] FIRE BREAKS OUT IN UKRAINE'S MOST DANGEROUS MINE
[39] BALTIC, NORDIC PRIME MINISTERS MEETING IN RIGA
[40] ESTONIAN CULTURE ENDOWMENT CHIEF CONFESSES TO EMBEZZLEMENT
[41] LATVIAN PREMIER GUILTY OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
[42] RUSSIAN ENVOY LASHES OUT AT LITHUANIA'S POSITION ON KALININGRAD
[43] POPE WARNS OF WORLD'S EVILS AT MASS ATTENDED BY 2.5 MILLION IN
[44] ...AND BIDS EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO HOMELAND
[45] EU TO EXTEND RECONSTRUCTION AID TO FLOOD-AFFECTED CENTRAL EUROPEAN
[46] CZECH PRESIDENT TOURS FLOODED AREAS OF CAPITAL...
[47] ...AS U.S., NATO MAKE ASSURANCES OF ASSISTANCE
[48] LOCAL CZECH OFFICIAL CLAIMS ROMA MISUSING FLOOD AID
[49] CZECH DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS HIGH-TICKET JETS DEAL IS 'DEAD'
[50] FLOOD EMERGENCY CALLED OFF IN SLOVAK CAPITAL
[51] SLOVAK SUPREME COURT FREES EMBATTLED FORMER INTELLIGENCE CHIEF
[52] SMK WILL NOT REOPEN BENES DECREES ISSUES BEFORE SLOVAK ELECTIONS
[53] SLOVAK PARTY LEADERS AGREE TO AMEND ELECTORAL LAW AFTER BALLOTING
[54] SLOVAK NATIONALISTS CRITICIZE PARTICIPATION IN OPERATION ENDURING
[55] HUNGARIAN CAPITAL WITHSTANDS FLOOD...
[56] ...WHILE GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES MORE FUNDING TO BATTLE FLOODING
[57] ANOTHER FORMER HUNGARIAN MINISTER ADMITS COLLABORATING WITH
[58] KOSOVAR PARTY ACCUSES UNMIK OF 'CRIMINALIZING LIBERATION
[59] ...AS MASS PROTESTS BEGIN IN KOSOVA
[60] MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT EMERGES UNSCATHED FROM CAR ACCIDENT...
[61] ...AND CELEBRATES THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MACEDONIAN ARMY
[62] SERBIAN GOVERNMENT EXPECTS NO MAJOR FLOODING
[63] MILOSEVIC'S PARTY TURNS DOWN HIS ADVICE...
[64] ...AS SERBIAN GOVERNING COALITION BACKS LABUS
[65] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNING PARTY DOUBTS THERE WILL BE A BELGRADE PACT
[66] ITALIAN TOURIST HITS SLOVENIAN JACKPOT
[67] SLOVENIAN MEDIA BLAST U.S. ICC PROPOSAL...
[68] ...AS DO BOSNIAN MEDIA
[69] ALBANIAN POLICE CHIEF SACKED
[70] ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION IS
[71] ...DENIES NATO ADMISSION IS PEGGED TO SETTLEMENT OF BORDER DISPUTE
[72] ROMANIAN PREMIER RECEIVES PROMINENT U.S. SENATORS
[73] OSCE FAILS TO ORGANIZE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN MOLDOVA, TRANSDNIESTER
[74] MOLDOVAN PREMIER CONCERNED ABOUT PROGRESS OF ABDUCTION
[75] PPCD LEADER ISSUES EMOTIONAL NATIONALIST APPEAL TO SUPPORTERS IN
[76] BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY OFFICIAL CLAIMS SHOOTOUTS AN ATTEMPT
[77] ...AS BULGARIAN POLICE LAUNCH MASSIVE ANTI-DRUG OPERATION
[78] BULGARIAN ECONOMY MINISTER VISITS LIBYA
[79] There is no End Note today.
19 August 2002
RUSSIA
[01] KREMLIN MUM ON REPORTED IRAQ DEAL...
Moscow offered a muted reaction to reports in "The Washington Post" on
17 August and by Reuters on 18 August that Russia is set to sign a $40
billion economic cooperation package with Iraq, Russian news agencies
reported on 19 August. According to the reports, the deal foresees
cooperation over the next five years in such areas as oil, irrigation,
agriculture, transportation, and electrical energy. Although no senior
politicians commented on the reports, deputy chief of the presidential
staff Aleksei Volin did say that "all agreements with Iraq are in
strict compliance with international sanctions" against Baghdad and are
based on "the logic of economic interests," ntvru.com reported. Oleg
Buklemishev, economic adviser to Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov,
confirmed to Reuters that Russia is preparing an umbrella economic
package with Iraq that comprises 67 agreements. VY
[02] ...AS SKEPTICS DOUBT SUCH PLANS...
Sergei Karaganov, head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy,
told Ekho Moskvy radio on 18 August that a far-reaching Russian-Iraqi
economic accord is hardly possible for the simple reason that Baghdad
"has no money for a deal." In a commentary, "Izvestiya" expressed doubt
that Moscow will jeopardize good relations with Washington for the
illusory economic benefits of trade with Baghdad. For some time,
Baghdad has been trying to protect itself from the United States with a
"Russian shield" by promising Moscow repayment of $8 billion in
Soviet-era debts, "Izvestiya" wrote. This trick worked in the 1990s,
but over the last couple of years, Russian oil producers have come to
realize that Iraq is their competitor rather than a partner on world
oil markets. Baghdad's reluctance to allow United Nations' inspections
has begun to irritate Moscow to a such degree that Foreign Minister
Igor Ivanov in the spring refused to meet with Iraqi Deputy Prime
Minister Tariq Aziz, who made a stopover in Moscow after a visit to
Beijing, "Izvestiya" added. VY
[03] ...AS SIBNEFT LOOKS TOWARD KUWAIT
Energy Minister Igor Yusufov announced that the state-controlled oil
giant Sibneft intends to expand into Kuwait and will take part in a
tender for the exploration of some of the country's northern oil
fields, Russian news agencies reported on 19 August. Speaking after a
meeting of the Russian-Kuwaiti intergovernmental commission on trade
and technical cooperation, Yusufov said that Russia is interested in
cooperation with Kuwait because the country is a key OPEC member. He
added that Russia also would like to attract Kuwaiti investment not
only into its energy sector, but also into automaking, the health care
sector, and tourism. VY
[04] RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN PREMIERS HOLD TALKS
Prime Minister Kasyanov met in Moscow on 16 August with Ukraine's Prime
Minister Anatoliy Kinakh to discuss a number of bilateral issues,
Russian and Western news agencies reported. Kasyanov reportedly asked
Kinakh to prepare Ukraine's conditions for joining the Eurasian
Economic Commonwealth. He also presented Kinakh with Russia's vision
for a joint natural-gas consortium that eventually will include Germany
as well (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 June 2002), AP reported. The two
prime ministers expressed hope that the concept can be finalized in
time for a Ukrainian-Russian summit scheduled for 7 October in Moldova
on the sidelines of the CIS summit. Kasyanov also urged Kinakh to adopt
an agreement on Soviet-era property abroad (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13
August 2002). According to AP, Kasyanov said that Ukrainian
ratification of the so-called "zero option" agreement is "fundamental"
for Russia. RC
[05] KREMLIN HINTS IT MIGHT SHELVE FRAMEWORK TREATY WITH GEORGIA
First Deputy Foreign Minister Valerii Loshchinin hinted during an
interview on 17 August with Radio Mayak that Moscow might suspend
discussion of the bilateral treaty on friendship and cooperation with
Georgia until Tbilisi extradites to Russia the Chechen "terrorists" who
were detained after entering Georgia illegally early this month,
Interfax reported. The Georgian authorities turned down Russia's first
request to extradite the Chechens (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6, 7, and 9
August 2002). Loshchinin branded Georgia's policy "unacceptable" and
"aimed at aggravating relations with Russia." Alluding to the
possibility that the Russian authorities might expel Georgians
currently working in the Russian Federation, Loshchinin noted that the
funds those workers remit to Georgia constitute a sizable chunk of the
country's budget, Caucasus Press reported. LF
[06] RUSSIA DENIES VISA TO DALAI LAMA
Foreign Ministry spokesman Boris Malakhov said that Moscow has decided
"to refrain at this stage from hosting a visit of the Dalai Lama to
Russia's Buddhist regions of Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia" (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 16 August 2002) because of the political nature of the
visit, Russian and Western news agencies reported on 16 August. Apn.ru
reported on 16 August that the visit was cancelled at the initiative of
the Defense Ministry and its head, Sergei Ivanov, who was reportedly
warned by his Chinese counterparts that it could jeopardize Chinese
arms contracts to Russia worth $3 billion. Meanwhile, a group of
Russian Buddhists organized a demonstration near the Foreign Ministry.
About 30 demonstrators participated and police detained a number of
them. A spokesman for the demonstrators said that similar protests were
held in Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva, RosBalt reported. A spokesman for
the Russian Buddhists, Jampa Timpley, said on NTV that the Foreign
Ministry similarly refused to admit the Dalai Lama on 17 August 2001.
VY
[07] PUTIN PROMISES SUPPORT TO SUKHOI
President Vladimir Putin on 16 August visited Sukhoi, the biggest
Russian military aircraft corporation, Russian news agencies reported.
Putin said that aviation equipment composes 50 percent of Russian arms
exports and that 45 percent of that equipment is produced by Sukhoi.
The president also discussed the progress of the firm's
fifth-generation Su-47 Berkut fighter. Putin noted that the Russian
aviation industry, which employs more than 500,000 people, has good
export prospects not only for military aircraft, but for civilian
aircraft as well. VY
[08] PUTIN PLAYS HOST FOR SPANISH KING
Spain's King Juan Carlos arrived in Moscow on 17 August on a private
visit, Russian and Western news agencies reported. President Putin led
the king on a tour of the Kremlin grounds on 18 August and told
reporters that the visit indicates the "high level of relations between
Russian and Spain," AP reported. According to Interfax, the king dined
at Putin's suburban residence on 17 August and described the visit as
"a cordial meeting in a family atmosphere." RC
[09] GOVERNMENT READY TO LIBERALIZE PRECIOUS-METALS AND DIAMOND MARKETS
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin has announced
that the government intends to deregulate the diamond-export market and
plans to transform the state-owned diamond monopoly Alrosa into a
public company, gazeta.ru reported on 19 August. Speaking in the
diamond-producing region of Sakha (Yakutia), Kudrin said that soon the
government will publish new export quotas for Alrosa that will reduce
its dependence on global diamond giant DeBeers. Similarly, the
government wants to liberalize the export of precious metals and, as a
first step, is preparing to declassify data about state reserves and
the recovery volume of precious metals. VY
[10] RUSSIA TO HELP EUROPE RECOVER FROM FLOODING
Despite being struck itself by devastating floods this summer, Russia
is sending equipment and experts to Germany and the Czech Republic to
assist in recovery efforts from flooding there, Western and Russian
news agencies reported on 19 August. The Emergency Situations Ministry
will send 15 trucks loaded with water pumps to Germany, as well as a
special mobile laboratory that is used to test the stability of
flood-damaged buildings, Interfax reported. A team of Russian
transportation experts has been dispatched to Prague to assist in
repairing the Czech capital's damaged subway system, AP reported. "The
question of assistance to other European countries is being
considered," said Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu. RC
[11] BUS DISASTER KILLS 24
An overcrowded passenger bus in the Chavash Republic crashed into a
ravine on 18 August, killing 24, Russian news agencies reported.
Initial reports indicate that the brakes failed on the bus, which was
carrying 65 people despite a capacity of 55, gazeta.ru reported on 19
August. Thirty-seven people were hospitalized in the village of
Yantikovo. The government of the republic declared 19 August an
official day of mourning. On 12 August, the brakes failed on a bus in
Novosibirsk and plowed into a crowded bus stop, killing one and
injuring 10, gazeta.ru reported. RC
[12] FELON MOVES INTO LEADING POSITION IN NIZHNII POLL
According to the latest polling in Nizhnii Novgorod, businessman and
convicted felon Andrei Klimentiev is gaining popularity in the campaign
for city mayor, "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 16 August. The poll,
conducted by the Academy of Science's Institute of Sociology, showed
that Klimentiev has moved into a virtual tie for first place with State
Duma Deputy Vadim Bulyanov (People's Deputy). The poll found that 18
percent of voters support Klimentiev and 17 percent support Bulyanov, a
difference that is less than the poll's margin of error. The vote will
be held on 15 September (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 24 July 2002). RC
[13] NATIONALIST LEADER WANTS TO HELP RUSSIANS RETURN HOME...
Deputy Duma speaker and head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
(LDPR) Vladimir Zhirinovskii, on a tour of the United States, urged
Russians living in America to return home, strana.ru and RIA-Novosti
reported on 19 August. Speaking in Boston, Zhirinovskii said that the
Russian-speaking community forms "America's elite." "I've understood
from my meetings with the diaspora that young people would like to
return, but many are put off by the process for returning, getting the
documents," Zhirinovskii was quoted as saying. "We intend to help them
and to facilitate the work of emigre associations." Zhirinovskii then
traveled to New York, where he intends to meet with UN officials to
discuss Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. RC
[14] ...AS NATIONALISTS TO OBLITERATE FASCISTS
Members of the Sverdlovsk Oblast chapter of the LDPR announced that
they will begin painting over neo-fascist and anti-Semitic graffiti in
Yekaterinburg, regions.ru reported on 19 August. The action follows the
example of the party's Perm chapter, which has already several times
painted over such graffiti there. The Yabloko faction has held similar
actions across the country in recent months, but it is unclear whether
it will join forces with LDPR. RC
[15] ELEVEN YEARS ON, RUSSIANS PONDER THE COUP
More than half of respondents to a recent survey were unable or
unwilling to say with which side of the 1991 attempted coup against
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev they sympathized at the time,
lenta.ru reported on 19 August. This week marks the 11th anniversary of
the ill-fated coup attempt. According to the national survey conducted
by the All-Russia Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), 41
percent of respondents said that they were unable "to make sense of the
situation" at the time and another 25 percent declined to answer the
question. Sixteen percent said that they sympathized with the coup
plotters, and 18 percent said that they supported Gorbachev and those
who opposed the coup. In Moscow on 19 August, about 500 people gathered
near the White House to mark the anniversary. On 20 August, a memorial
for the three people killed during the anti-coup protests will be held.
RC
[16] ON ANNIVERSARY OF FINANCIAL CRISIS, PUBLIC FEARS A REPETITION...
Four years after the August 1998 financial crisis, Russians continue to
believe that the hard times are not necessarily in the past, RosBalt
reported on 18 August. According to a national VTsIOM survey, 46
percent of respondents believe that a similar crisis could happen again
within the next year, while 33 percent said that history will not
repeat itself. The survey also found that when the crisis hit on 17
August 1998, 49 percent of the population had no savings at all, 28
percent had some savings kept in banks, and 11 percent kept their
savings in cash. Of those who had savings, 58 percent lost everything,
16 percent received "a small amount of compensation," 5 percent got
about half of their savings back, and 11 percent had the majority of
their savings returned to them. RC
[17] ...AS GOVERNMENT CERTAIN THAT RECOVERY IS COMPLETE
Finance Minister Kudrin said that economic indicators for the first
half of 2002 give every reason to believe that the post-1998 recovery
has been completed, RTR reported on 19 August. Kudrin noted that the
country's gold and hard-currency reserves stand at more than $42.3
billion, a record for the last 10 years. He also pointed to the
relatively stable dollar-ruble exchange rate and Russia's success in
coping with its foreign debt. Deputy chief of the presidential
administration Volin told RTR that personal savings have grown by
nearly 51 percent, reaching $7 billion. He added that the crisis marked
the end of the "speculative economy" and that over the last four years,
business engaged primarily in investment in the real economy. RC
[18] FAR EAST LEGISLATORS CALL FOR EXTENDING PUTIN'S TERM
The legislature of Magadan Oblast on 19 August sent a nonbinding
resolution to the State Duma urging the national legislature to begin
the process of extending the presidential term of office from four
years to seven, ntvru.com reported. In order to do so, it would be
necessary to amend Article 81 of the Russian Constitution. The Magadan
initiative was framed as support for President Putin. "Today, aside
from current President Vladimir Putin, there is no one capable of
uniting all the positive forces in the country," the resolution reads.
"Considering the current situation, we believe that the four-year term
of President Vladimir Putin is too brief to solidify the positive
results and make the further development of the country irreversible."
Putin's popularity rating continues to hover at around 70 percent. RC
[19] NEW FIGHTING IN CHECHNYA TRIGGERS CIVILIAN EXODUS
Renewed fighting flared up on 15- 16 August in the villages of
Gekhi-Chu and Shalazhi in Urus Martan Raion between Chechen militants
and federal forces, Russian news agencies reported. A spokesman for the
Russian federal forces said at least 32 Chechen fighters were killed
and the remainder forced to retreat. "The Moscow Times" quoted a
Chechen administration source as saying that at least 12 Russian
servicemen also died. Residents of villages in Urus Martan Raion began
fleeing to Ingushetia to escape the fighting, according to
chechenpress.com on 17 August. LF
[20] PLANS APPROVED FOR REBUILDING CHECHEN CAPITAL
The Russian government has approved a plan for rebuilding Grozny over a
period of five years, Interfax reported on 17 August, quoting Chechen
Prime Minister Stanislav Ilyasov. Ilyasov said it is anticipated the
city will have 600,000 residents. The more polluted areas in the west
of the city will not be rebuilt, but instead a new district housing
100,000 people will be built on the southeastern outskirts. On 16
August, the Energy Ministry said it will spend 150 million rubles
($4.78 million) from the export of Chechen oil on restoring public
buildings in Grozny to provide temporary housing, Interfax reported. LF
[21] CORRECTION
An item entitled "Court Rejects New Accusation Against Former Military
Chief Financial Officer" on 16 August incorrectly stated the Moscow
Arbitration Court's ruling. The court found that former Colonel General
Georgii Oleinik did abuse his office in 1998, upholding the latest
charges against him. It also amnestied him on the embezzlement charges
for which he was convicted in April and sentenced to three years in
prison. The court ruled that he qualified for a blanket amnesty that
the State Duma authorized in 2000 to commemorate the 55th anniversary
of victory in World War II. Oleinik remains in custody pending trial on
the second set of charges.
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[22] ARMENIAN RULING PARTY REJECTS ELECTION CRITICISM
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian's Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
rejected on 16 August allegations voiced the previous day by the
People's Party of Armenia (HZhK), its former partner in the ruling
Miasnutiun coalition, that the HHK plans to resort to manipulation of
the vote to secure the victory of its preferred candidates in upcoming
local, presidential, and parliamentary elections, RFE/RL's Yerevan
bureau reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August 2002). The HZhK is
particularly concerned that as HHK members outnumber its own in
Miasnutiun, the HHK will name the single Miasnutiun representative to
each election commissions at all levels. Galust Sahakian, who heads the
HHK parliamentary faction, confirmed that his party will seek to
exclude the HZhK from the 56 regional electoral commissions. But at the
same time he rejected the HZhK's criticism, saying that the amended
election regulations will improve the voting process. LF
[23] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN CALL FOR REOPENING BORDER WITH ARMENIA
Some 30-40 Turkish businessmen from the cities of Kars, Igdir, and
Artvin in eastern Anatolia met on 17 August in Yerevan with the
Armenian Union of Industrialists and Businessmen to discuss how to
promote bilateral trade, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Both
Armenian and Turkish participants expressed frustration at successive
Turkish governments' refusal either to open the border between the two
countries or to lift the ban on imports of Armenian goods. LF
[24] FORMER PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PRESSURE ON AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES
In a statement summarized by Turan on 16 August, Ayaz Mutalibov
condemned what he termed "blatant human rights violations" by the
present Azerbaijani leadership and called on the people of Azerbaijan
to "force the regime to comply with the country's basic law, which
guarantees human rights and freedoms." Mutalibov attributed the charges
of planning a coup d'etat brought against five of his supporters last
month to current President Heidar Aliev's irritation over Mutalibov's
election as head of the Community of Azerbaijanis in Russia (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 14 May 2002). He said Aliev's objective is to
intimidate Mutalibov's supporters in Azerbaijan, including the Civic
Solidarity Party. Mutalibov also said that French President Jacques
Chirac intervened with then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin in April
1996 to help prevent his extradition to Azerbaijan. LF
[25] THREE KILLED BY MINE ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER
Two Azerbaijani Army officers and one civilian were killed on 16 August
when their automobile hit a landmine near the border between the two
countries, Reuters reported. The United States last month sent a team
of specialists to Baku as part of the $1.35 million program to help
assist and train Azerbaijani servicemen in mine clearance. LF
[26] GEORGIA DENIES MAINTAINING CONTACTS WITH CHECHEN PRESIDENT
Georgian Foreign Ministry spokesman Kakha Sikharulidze on 16 August
rejected as "absurd" Russian Foreign Ministry allegations that the
Georgian authorities have consistently maintained contact with Chechen
President Aslan Maskhadov via the Chechen representation in Tbilisi,
Interfax and Caucasus Press reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August
2002). "There were no such contacts in the past. There will be no such
contacts in the future," Sikharulidze said. He added that the Chechen
office in Tbilisi is not officially registered and the Georgian
authorities have no contact with its staff. LF
[27] RANSOM DEMANDED FOR ABDUCTED GEORGIAN OFFICER
The unknown persons who kidnapped Colonel Zurab Durglishvili near
Tskhinvali last week have demanded an unspecified sum to ransom him,
Caucasus Press reported on 17 August (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August
2002). The independent newspaper "Akhali versia" reported on 19 August
that Durglishvili, a member of the Georgian contingent of the
peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia, was abducted because of his
efforts to trace automobiles stolen elsewhere in Georgia. Both South
Ossetian President Eduard Kokoyty and Georgian President Eduard
Shevardnadze have ordered police to make every effort to find
Durglishvili and secure his release. LF
[28] GEORGIAN SECURITY COUNCIL MULLS SENDING TROOPS TO PANKISI...
The possibility of sending Interior and National Security ministry
troops to Georgia's Pankisi Gorge to restore order there was discussed
at a 17 August session of the National Security Council, but no date
for any such deployment has been made public, Interfax and Caucasus
Press reported on 17 August. Fearing a possible Russian military
intervention directed against Chechen fighters in the gorge, the
region's civilian inhabitants appealed to the Georgian government last
week to send troops there (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August 2002).
National Security Ministry spokesman Nika Laliashvili explained to
Caucasus Press that the ministry was reluctant to send troops to
Pankisi earlier because of the large number of Chechen militants there,
but that there are no longer any "large" armed groups of Chechens in
the area. He added that the ministry will inform Moscow before the
troops are deployed. LF
[29] ...AS RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER QUESTIONS SENSE OF GEORGIAN
MANEUVERS
Speaking in Russia's Chelyabinsk Oblast on 16 August, Sergei Ivanov
dismissed as no more than "a diplomatic gesture" the Georgian army
maneuvers that got underway on 13 August in eastern Georgia, Caucasus
Press and Interfax reported. "What kind of military exercises can be
held in the mountains?" at an altitude of 2,000-3,000 meters above sea
level, Ivanov asked rhetorically. The Pankisi gorge is in fact at a
lower altitude. The Georgian exercises include the dispatch of some 600
servicemen to Pankisi, but Georgian troops will not be stationed
permanently in the gorge, Georgian Defense Ministry Lieutenant General
David Tevzadze told Interfax on 14 August. Nor are the war games
intended as the first stage of a "large-scale antiterrorist operation,"
according to Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili on 14 August. LF
[30] JOURNALIST BEATEN IN KAZAKHSTAN
Three men attacked journalist Artur Platonov late on 16 August as he
parked his car outside his apartment, beating him up and breaking his
nose, Interfax reported. The state-run television station Khabar
reported the following day that three former police officers have been
arrested in connection with the assault, but a police spokesman said
that their testimony is inconsistent with that of Platonov. Platonov,
who worked for the KTK television channel, had earlier been threatened
for his criticism of law enforcement agencies. LF
[31] UZBEKISTAN TIGHTENS SECURITY IN RUN-UP TO INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY
Police in Uzbekistan have been placed on heightened alert in
anticipation of possible terrorist attacks on 1 September, the 10th
anniversary of the country's independence, according to uzreport.com on
18 August. Addressing a meeting of law enforcement personnel on 17
August, Interior Minister Zohirdjon Almatov called for intensified
surveillance of the country's borders to preclude the infiltration of
terrorists, according to an Uzbek state television report monitored by
the BBC. LF
[32] WORLD BANK TURNS DOWN UZBEK REQUEST TO FUND RIVER-DIVERSION
PROJECT
The World Bank will not provide funds toward the cost of reviving the
grandiose project first unveiled in the 1980s to divert two Siberian
rivers southward to provide water for Central Asia, Interfax reported
on 17 August, quoting World Bank representative in Tashkent David
Pears. The project was shelved in the early 1990s shortly after
preparatory work got under way; Uzbek scientists have recently
suggested reviving it. Pears, however, argued that Uzbekistan should
make more effective use of the water resources currently at its
disposal. LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[33] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENTIAL AIDE SAYS RUSSIA'S INTEGRATION PROPOSAL IS
'ROAD TO NOWHERE'
Leanid Kozik, the Belarusian co-chairman of an intergovernmental group
working on the constitutional act of the Russia-Belarus Union, said on
16 August that Russian President Vladimir Putin's "ultimate
unification" proposal of 14 August is "a road to nowhere," Belarusian
television reported. Following his talks with Belarusian President
Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Moscow, Putin suggested that Russia and
Belarus hold referendums next year on "ultimate unification" under
which Belarus would join the Russian Federation (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
15 August 2002). Kozik was also skeptical about another suggested
integration model that was described by the Russian president as
"something like the European Union." "I get a feeling that that we are
being deliberately pushed toward this second option," Kozik said. "They
come up with that first one, knowing that the answer will be 'no.' And
then we have to choose or else Russia says: 'See, absolute unification
does not suit you, neither does the purely economic way, there is no
pleasing you.' It is an opportunity to put all the blame on us." JM
[34] BELARUSIAN WOMEN'S PARTY HEADS TOWARD SPLIT
A special convention of the Belarusian Women's Party Nadzeya (Hope) in
Minsk on 17 August replaced its leader Valyantsina Palevikova with
Valyantsina Matusevich, Belapan reported. According to Matusevich, the
convention was intended to reanimate Hope and prevent it from
disappearing from the political map of Belarus as a result of its
announced merger with two social democratic parties. Palevikova
responded that the convention was illegitimate and added that her
dismissal was initiated by the new chairman of the Federation of Trade
Unions of Belarus, Leonid Kozik, who was allegedly exerting pressure on
the party's "trade-union" wing. Palevikova and her supporters intend to
hold a separate convention on 24 August. JM
[35] BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION ACTIVIST RELEASED FROM JAIL...
Svyatlana Nekh, a 22-year-old activist of the opposition group Young
Hramada, was released from jail in Hrodna on 16 August after completing
a 10-day sentence for participating in an unauthorized picket (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 8 and 9 August 2002), Belapan reported. Nekh was on
hunger strike during her incarceration. JM
[36] ...WHILE EIGHT OTHERS RECEIVE COURT WARNINGS
A judge in Vitsebsk on 16 August issued warnings to eight activists of
the opposition United Civic Party (AHP) for staging an unauthorized
demonstration in the city on 27 July to mark the 11th anniversary of
Belarus's declaration of state sovereignty. The demonstrators displayed
a white-red-white flag and a poster saying, "We do not want to be a
Russian province!" Yelena Zaleskaya, the leader of the AHP branch in
Vitsebsk, said the "unexpectedly light punishments" were apparently a
result of recent negative reactions by top Belarusian officials to
Russian President Putin's "ultimate unification" proposal last week. JM
[37] OUR UKRAINE MAY JOIN OPPOSITION IF UNABLE TO FORM COALITION
CABINET
Yuriy Kostenko, the leader of the Ukrainian Popular Rukh and first
deputy head of the Our Ukraine parliamentary caucus, has said Our
Ukraine may join the opposition if it fails in its efforts to create a
parliamentary majority and a coalition government, UNIAN reported on 16
August. "This will mean that Our Ukraine, as an opposition force, will
demand the dismissal of the current government and early presidential
elections, and will call for citizens' support for protest actions
against the authorities," Kostenko added. "All efforts by Our Ukraine
to secure economic growth until the presidential elections [in 2004]
have run against the counteraction of oligarchic clans that influence
the position of the head of state," Kostenko noted, adding that these
words primarily refer to activists of the Social Democratic Party of
Ukraine-united, who, he stressed, "are trying to create a so-called
'majority' without Our Ukraine." JM
[38] FIRE BREAKS OUT IN UKRAINE'S MOST DANGEROUS MINE
Four miners of the notorious Zasyadko coal mine have been hospitalized
following a fire that broke out at a depth of some 530 meters in the
morning of 19 August, UNIAN and Interfax reported. The fire was
reportedly extinguished, while more than 1,200 miners who were in the
mine when the accident occurred were safely evacuated. Last month, a
methane-gas blast killed 20 miners in the Zasyadko mine. Two other
tragic blasts in the same mine killed 50 miners in May 1999 and 55 in
August 2001. JM
[39] BALTIC, NORDIC PRIME MINISTERS MEETING IN RIGA
The annual two-day meeting of the eight prime ministers of the Baltic
and Nordic countries began in Riga on 18 August, Baltic news agencies
reported. The government heads plan to discuss the European Union
enlargement process, cooperation at the upcoming NATO summit in Prague,
and Baltic-Nordic cooperation in developing a Baltic Sea regional
energy system. According to BNS on 17 August, the Latvian government
has said that "everyone is eager to hear the Danish Presidency's stance
on EU enlargement" -- Denmark currently holds the EU Presidency and has
set as one of its priorities the closure of accession negotiations with
all candidate countries, including the Baltic states. ETA and LETA
reported on 18 August that the premiers will discuss cooperation to
promote a joint "Baltic Ring" power grid, based on the Nordic
countries' experience in liberalizing their respective electricity
markets. MJZ
[40] ESTONIAN CULTURE ENDOWMENT CHIEF CONFESSES TO EMBEZZLEMENT
CHARGES, IS FIRED
The governing council of the Estonian Culture Endowment
(Kultuurikapital) on 16 August fired its director, Avo Viiol, who
confessed to investigators and the endowment's council that he gambled
away between 6.5 million and 8 million kroons ($400,000-$500,000) of
the endowment's funds from 1999 to 2002, ETA and BNS reported the same
day. Kultuurikapital council member Andres Tali told ETA that the
endowment will continue to provide support grants in spite of the
funding shortfall, but cannot guarantee that grant amounts will remain
at their current levels. Viiol is being held by the National Security
Police, which have launched an investigation into separate charges that
Viiol abused his official position and carried out large-scale theft
while in that position. If convicted, Viiol faces a maximum of eight
years in prison. Estonian Prime Minister Siim Kallas has yet to accept
the resignation of Culture Minister and Endowment Council Chairwoman
Signe Kivi (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August 2002). MJZ
[41] LATVIAN PREMIER GUILTY OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
According to a 16 August report by BNS, the daily "Neatkariga Rita
Avize" has petitioned the state Corruption Prevention Council to
investigate a possible conflict of interest involving Latvian Prime
Minister Andris Berzins. The prime minister reportedly spent part of
his summer vacation sailing off the Turkish coast on board a yacht
owned by the Latvian Plywood (Latvijas Finieris) company -- a company
that has benefited from more than 6 million lats ($10.1 million) in tax
relief granted by Berzins' government, according to the daily. The
newspaper pointed out that similar tax-break requests by the Valmiera
Fiberglass Factory (Valmieras Stiklu Skiedru) and the LatRosTrans
oil-pipeline company were rejected. Berzins's hosts on the holiday
cruise were family friends Daina Bruniniece, a senior adviser at
Latvijas Finieris and a Latvian Television (LTV) journalist, and her
husband Janis Gavars, who is an informal adviser to Berzins and an
influential Latvia's Way party member. Corruption Prevention Council
Secretariat head Rudolfs Kalnins told the newspaper that, because the
prime minister also serves as council chairman, the council might not
be able to objectively review the case. MJZ
[42] RUSSIAN ENVOY LASHES OUT AT LITHUANIA'S POSITION ON KALININGRAD
VISAS
Russian presidential envoy for Kaliningrad Dmitrii Rogozin has lashed
out at the Lithuanian government's position concerning visa-free
transit rights for travelers between Russia and its Kaliningrad
exclave, Interfax-BNS reported on 16 August. Rogozin accused Lithuania,
which has agreed to be bound by the European Union's Schengen border
regulations, of being "involved in a certain game" when it negotiated
its accession to the Schengen rules as part of its efforts to join the
EU. "When the Lithuanians were holding [their Schengen] talks...they
forgot to discuss the guidelines to regulate trips to the Kaliningrad
region.... Now Russia has to deal with the EU, but try not to forget
about Lithuanian whose deadline for joining the Schengen treaty should
not be changed." Meanwhile, the Lithuanian daily "Lietuvos Zinios,"
citing a 16 August RosBalt news agency story, reported that Rogozin has
not "lost hope" of meeting with Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
regarding the visa issue, even though Adamkus is currently on annual
leave. Gediminas Kirkilas, who as chairman of the Lithuanian
parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee is responsible for relations
with Kaliningrad, added that "such meetings are possible only after
real agreements on the meeting are made." MJZ
[43] POPE WARNS OF WORLD'S EVILS AT MASS ATTENDED BY 2.5 MILLION IN
KRAKOW...
Pope John Paul II on 18 August conducted Mass in the presence of 2.5
million people gathered on the Blonie meadowland near Krakow, Polish
and international media reported. In his sermon, the pope appealed for
more mercy and love in today's world. He also warned of "hitherto
unheard of dangers" in the new millennium, mentioning "false freedom
concepts," "noisy liberalist propaganda," and "freedom without truth
and responsibility." "Humanity stands before new development prospects
but also new dangers. Very often people live as if there were no God.
Such people usurp the creator's right to interfere with the secret of
human life and try to decide about life's existence by genetically
manipulating its forms," John Paul II said. JM
[44] ...AND BIDS EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO HOMELAND
Later the same day, the ailing and frail 82-year-old pontiff bid an
emotional farewell to thousands of people gathered for a nighttime
vigil outside the archbishop's residence in Krakow. The crowd intoned,
"Welcome, Alleluia" and "stay with us," when the pope showed his face
from a window. "Unfortunately, it's a farewell meeting," the pope
responded. Earlier the same day, while visiting the St. Florian Parish
Church where he was a priest from 1948-50, John Paul II made rare
mention of his mortality by saying, "I ask for prayers for all the
current parishioners at St. Florian, a prayer for the living and the
dead, and a prayer for the pope during his lifetime and after his
death." Many commentators voiced their apprehension that the pontiff's
age and illness may prevent him from visiting his homeland again. The
pope is scheduled to depart for the Vatican in the evening of 19
August, after conducting Mass at the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sanctuary
near Krakow. JM
[45] EU TO EXTEND RECONSTRUCTION AID TO FLOOD-AFFECTED CENTRAL EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES...
Meeting in Berlin on 19 August, European Commission President Romano
Prodi and the leaders of Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and
Slovakia agreed on a plan to free "substantial sums" from EU
development funds and to grant cheap loans to cover cleanup and
reconstruction costs of areas affected by the recent floods, AP
reported. Wolfgang Schuessel, Vladimir Spidla, Gerhard Schroeder, and
Mikulas Dzurinda gave no specific figures but said they intend to
create a European disaster-relief fund that could start off by helping
flood areas. Schroeder said the aid will be extended to all countries
affected, "whether they are EU members or will only become members."
Some estimates of the costs involved exceed $20 billion, and observers
say the reconstruction may take years. MS
[46] CZECH PRESIDENT TOURS FLOODED AREAS OF CAPITAL...
President Vaclav Havel on 18 August visited flood-ravaged areas of
Prague, saying: "We must be ready to rapidly accept international help.
The wave of solidarity is tremendous...[and] we must be able to say
what we want and be able to accept what we request," CTK and Reuters
reported. Havel donated 1 million crowns ($33,000) of his own money to
recovery efforts and said the reconstruction of affected areas will
take a long time and patience is required. CTK said on 18 August the
Czech Republic has thus far accepted aid offers from 18 countries. Some
120 foreign rescuers are already in the country, and 85 more are
expected to arrive, the agency reported. On 16 August, dpa reported
that Health Minister Marie Souckova has requested funds for the
vaccination of Prague residents and surrounding areas against hepatitis
and other diseases. The death toll from Czech flooding rose to 14 over
the weekend with the discovery of two apparent drowning victims. MS
[47] ...AS U.S., NATO MAKE ASSURANCES OF ASSISTANCE
U.S. President George W. Bush on 17 August told Czech President Havel
in a telephone conversation that the United States will provide
flood-relief aid "with all means available," CTK reported, citing
presidential spokesman Ladislav Spacek. A U.S. Embassy source told CTK
that the embassy has already provided $500,000 in immediate aid. On 16
August, CTK cited a Czech diplomatic source in Washington as saying
that the United States wants to provide engineering equipment to two
towns liberated by its forces during World War II -- Plzen and Pisek.
NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson, in a statement released
in Brussels on 17 August, assured citizens and governments of the
affected countries that "they can count on NATO...to come to their
assistance," AFP reported. Robertson said the Euro-Atlantic Disaster
Response Coordination Center (EADRCC), set up in 1988 to coordinate
disaster relief efforts in 46 countries, is maintaining contacts with
Prague and other capitals to provide all needed assistance. MS
[48] LOCAL CZECH OFFICIAL CLAIMS ROMA MISUSING FLOOD AID
Usti nad Labem Deputy Mayor Tomas Jelinek on 18 August released a
statement claiming that the town's Romany population is misusing
humanitarian aid destined for people left homeless by the floods. He
said that the demands and behavior of some Roma following their
evacuation represents "a second elemental disaster after the flood,"
according to CTK. Jelinek, an independent, said, "It cannot be ruled
out that the Roma are trafficking in the aid and passing it on to
people who do not live in the flooded area." Martin Simacek of the
People in Need organization denied the mayor's allegations and said he
will consult lawyers on a response. Usti nad Labem made world headlines
in 1999 when the City Council erected a fence that critics claimed
would create a Romany "ghetto." The fence was dismantled after local
and international protest. MS
[49] CZECH DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS HIGH-TICKET JETS DEAL IS 'DEAD'
Defense Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik is quoted in the daily "Pravo" on 19
August as saying the roughly $2 billion purchase of two dozen Gripen
fighter jets is "now dead for the Czech Army," CTK reported the same
day. Tvrdik added that military officials will soon "submit
alternatives for guarding [Czech] airspace" after 2005, when the
country's MiG-21s become obsolete, according to the agency. Finance
Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told journalists on 16 August that the
coalition government of the Social Democrats, the Christian Democratic
Party-People's Party and the Freedom Union-Democratic Union (US-DEU)
will have to "seriously reconsider" whether to go ahead with the costly
purchase due to the extensive damage caused by the floods, CTK
reported. MS/AH
[50] FLOOD EMERGENCY CALLED OFF IN SLOVAK CAPITAL
Slovak authorities on 17 August called off the state of emergency in
five of the town's districts but said the highest state of alert
remains in force in other neighborhoods, TASR and CTK reported.
Officials said the alert will be totally rescinded once water levels
drop under 8.50 meters above normal. The Danube River peaked at 9.90
meters over its average on 16 August. MS
[51] SLOVAK SUPREME COURT FREES EMBATTLED FORMER INTELLIGENCE CHIEF
The Supreme Court on 16 August ruled that former Slovak Information
Service (SIS) chief Ivan Lexa must be released from detention, TASR and
international news agencies reported. The court said the warrant under
which Lexa was detained should have been issued by the district court
that ordered his detention two years earlier, and not by the Bratislava
regional court that issued the warrant after Lexa's July extradition
from South Africa. Lexa's prosecution is to proceed. Prime Minister
Mikulas Dzurinda called the decision "shameful" and vowed that Lexa
"will not escape justice," CTK reported. Justice Minister Jan
Carnogursky told Reuters that the Supreme Court's decision contradicts
the law and the government "will take every step to return him to
jail." Interior Minister Ivan Simko called the decision "absurd," and
Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) Bela Bugar said the decision amounts to
"a slap in the face of anyone who still believes in justice." Lexa
refused to answer journalists' questions upon leaving prison in
Bratislava. MS
[52] SMK WILL NOT REOPEN BENES DECREES ISSUES BEFORE SLOVAK ELECTIONS
SMK Chairman Bugar on 18 August told CTK that his party will not reopen
the issue of the Benes Decrees ahead of Slovakia's September elections.
He added that this does not mean that the SMK is accepting all of the
consequences of the decrees, such as the limitations they impose on the
restitution of land to ethnic Hungarian former property owners in
southern Slovakia. The Party of the Democratic Left and its chairman,
Agriculture Minister Pavol Konkos, have blocked SMK efforts to have
lands whose previous owners cannot be identified transferred to local
authorities. "We know that the reopening of the Benes Decrees issue is
a sensitive one in Slovakia," Bugar said, adding that the SMK fears the
reaction of Slovak nationalists. MS
[53] SLOVAK PARTY LEADERS AGREE TO AMEND ELECTORAL LAW AFTER BALLOTING
The leaders of several major Slovak political parties on 18 August
agreed that the electoral law should be amended after the September
parliamentary elections, TASR reported. Participating in a debate on
Slovak television, Movement for a Democratic Slovakia Chairman Vladimir
Meciar said his party wants the proportional system on party lists to
be changed into a one-round, single-mandate system and a bicameral
parliament. Smer (Direction) Chairman Robert Fico said at least half of
deputies should be elected under a single-mandate representation and
that the threshold for parliamentary representation should be raised
from the current 5 percent to 7 percent. Alliance for New Citizens
Chairman Pavol Rusko concurred with the single-mandate proposal, adding
that the number of deputies should be cut from 150 to 100. Prime
Minister Dzurinda said his Slovak Democratic and Christian Union has
proposed changing the current system on several occasions but was never
able to enlist a majority. The only dissent came from Christian
Democratic Movement Chairman Pavol Hrusovsky, who said Slovakia's
democracy must mature before changing its electoral system. MS
[54] SLOVAK NATIONALISTS CRITICIZE PARTICIPATION IN OPERATION ENDURING
FREEDOM
Slovak National Party Deputy Chairman Peter Sulovsky told TASR on 18
August that the departure for Afghanistan of a Slovak engineering unit
scheduled for 19 August is the result of U.S. pressure and has nothing
to do with Slovak interests. Sulovsky said the military engineers who
will take part in Operation Enduring Freedom "could find a more
dignified and useful occupation at home, clearing out the consequences
of the recent floods." He said the 100 million crown ($2.28 million)
costs of Slovakia's participation in the operation equal the entire
government budget reserves for covering flood damages. MS
[55] HUNGARIAN CAPITAL WITHSTANDS FLOOD...
Danube River waters in Budapest peaked at record levels shortly after
midnight on 19 August and began falling in the early morning hours,
international news agencies reported. At its peak, the registered water
level was 8.48 meters above normal -- higher than the 1965 flood level
of 8.45 meters, the highest recorded level in the past century, but
lower than in 1838, when the river rose more than 9 meters. More than
20,000 people worked to reinforce dikes in Budapest and elsewhere in
Hungary over the weekend and some 2,000 homes in low-lying areas of the
capital were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Szentendre, north of
Budapest, was cut off from the rest of the country but few homes were
flooded and flood defenses were reportedly holding. MS
[56] ...WHILE GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES MORE FUNDING TO BATTLE FLOODING
Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy told journalists on 18 August that
although "the situation is really difficult...there is a good chance
this huge flooding, unprecedented in the past 100 years, will be kept
under control," Reuters reported. Medgyessy said his cabinet increased
the amount of money allocated for flood defense to 3.2 billion forints
($12.8 million) from the 500 million forints initially allocated.
Medgyessy also said the government has canceled the traditional
fireworks planned for 20 August, when Hungary celebrates its national
day. Also on 18 August, he visited Szentendre and helped workers
strengthen the city's flood barriers, AFP reported. MS
[57] ANOTHER FORMER HUNGARIAN MINISTER ADMITS COLLABORATING WITH
COMMUNIST SECRET SERVICES
Imre Boross, who was agriculture minister in the cabinet headed by
Viktor Orban from 1998-2002, told the daily "Magyar Nemzet" of 16
August that the communist secret services had forced him to collaborate
with them, AFP reported. "I did not approach them, they approached me.
I did not want to collaborate, but I was constrained to do so," he
said. MS
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[58] KOSOVAR PARTY ACCUSES UNMIK OF 'CRIMINALIZING LIBERATION
STRUGGLE'...
Hina reported from Prishtina on 18 August that one of Kosova's main
ethnic Albanian political parties has again criticized the recent
arrests by the UN civilian administration (UNMIK) of several Kosovars
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13 August 2002). The Democratic Party, which is
led by former Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) leader Hashim Thaci, said in
a statement to the daily "Koha Ditore" that the arrests constitute an
attempt at "criminalizing" Kosova's 1998-99 liberation struggle against
Serbia rule and at undermining Kosovar hopes of obtaining independence.
The statement added that UNMIK's behavior is "intolerable." UNMIK
recently denied charges by some Kosovars that it carried out the
arrests as part of an unspecified deal with Belgrade, Deutsche Welle's
"Monitor" reported on 16 August. PM
[59] ...AS MASS PROTESTS BEGIN IN KOSOVA
Demonstrations against the recent arrests of Kosovars by UNMIK are
slated for 19 August in Podujeva, Gllogovc, Peja, Decan, and Prizren,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. The
Kosovar government is scheduled to meet in Prishtina to consider its
response to the latest developments. Some press commentaries have
criticized the authorities for not doing so sooner. Thaci has appealed
to the parliament to hold a special session to discuss the overall
situation in Kosova following the arrests. Elsewhere, UNMIK spokeswoman
Susan Manuel said that everyone is entitled to express a viewpoint
provided they do so peacefully. PM
[60] MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT EMERGES UNSCATHED FROM CAR ACCIDENT...
President Boris Trajkovski suffered no injuries in an automobile
accident on 16 August, dpa reported. According to a statement from
Trajkovski's office, his driver lost control of the car on the
Skopje-Ohrid road. The driver suffered a slight concussion. UB
[61] ...AND CELEBRATES THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MACEDONIAN ARMY
Speaking at the Ilinden barracks on the occasion of the 10th
anniversary of the founding of the Macedonian Army (ARM) on 18 August,
Trajkovski praised the army's role in last year's conflict with the
ethnic Albanian rebels of the National Liberation Army (UCK), MIA news
agency reported. "Macedonia needs a modern, mobile, well-trained, and
[well-]equipped army, as is required by [international] collective
defense systems, the international community, and the international
antiterrorist coalition," Trajkovski said. When the Yugoslav Army
withdrew from Macedonia in 1992, it took almost all the materiel there
with it. The cash-strapped republic has subsequently purchased some
equipment and has received numerous gifts, including second-hand tanks
from Bulgaria and former East German equipment. In related news, two
soldiers were slightly injured when unidentified persons threw a hand
grenade and fired automatic weapons at them just outside the Ilinden
barracks on 15 August. UB
[62] SERBIAN GOVERNMENT EXPECTS NO MAJOR FLOODING
Ankica Aleksic, who heads the Serbian government's flood-prevention
department, said in Belgrade on 19 August that existing embankments and
other flood-control measures will most likely withstand the flood
waters expected to enter Serbia from Hungary soon, AP reported.
Agriculture Minister Dragan Veselinov said that he does not expect any
"unpleasant surprises," adding that emergency funds are available
should the worst happen. PM
[63] MILOSEVIC'S PARTY TURNS DOWN HIS ADVICE...
The steering committee of former President Slobodan Milosevic's
Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) agreed in Belgrade to reject his
proposal that the party endorse Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader
Vojislav Seselj as its candidate in the 29 September Serbian
presidential elections, Reuters reported on 18 August (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 16 August 2002). The SPS will choose its candidate on 21
August. Leading contenders are Milutin Mrkonjic, who headed the
reconstruction efforts after Milosevic's war in Kosova in 1999, and
Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, an actor known for playing Partisan war
heroes in World War II movies. PM
[64] ...AS SERBIAN GOVERNING COALITION BACKS LABUS
At a meeting of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition in
Kragujevac on 18 August, 11 parties endorsed Miroljub Labus as their
joint candidate in the 29 September race, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported. Leaders of five parties did not
endorse Labus and will announce their final decision soon. Those
parties are the Democratic Alternative, Democratic Center, New
Democracy, Christian Democratic Party of Serbia, and the Serbian
Resistance Movement of Kosovo and Metohija. Labus is scheduled to
launch his campaign on 19 August. PM
[65] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNING PARTY DOUBTS THERE WILL BE A BELGRADE PACT
Filip Vujanovic, who is vice president of President Milo Djukanovic's
Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), told RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service in Podgorica on 18 August that he believes
that the differences between members of the constitutional commission
are so great that the proposed Constitutional Charter between Serbia
and Montenegro will never be concluded. Vujanovic is himself one of the
signatories of the March agreement between Serbia and Montenegro. On 17
August, Javier Solana, who is the European Union's chief of foreign and
security policy, telephoned Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to
stress the importance of finishing work on the charter soon. In related
news, Jozef Kasza, who heads the League of Vojvodina Hungarians, and
Rasim Ljajic, who head the Sandzak Democratic Party, said in Belgrade
on 16 August that the proposed charter gives minorities even fewer
rights than they now enjoy. Gone would be their guarantee of collective
rights, as well as their rights to self-government, cultural autonomy,
and use of their mother tongues in dealings with officials. PM
[66] ITALIAN TOURIST HITS SLOVENIAN JACKPOT
As Croatia and Slovenia continue their efforts to rebuild or reinvent
their tourist industries, Slovenian tourism got a favorable boost in
free publicity on 18 August after an Italian visitor won nearly $2
million in what dpa called a "slot-machine jackpot" in Kranjska Gora.
The unidentified lucky winner will receive her money in monthly
installments of $50,000 each. PM
[67] SLOVENIAN MEDIA BLAST U.S. ICC PROPOSAL...
Slovenian print media have criticized Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
for being too "pro-American" by not clearly condemning the U.S. call
for Slovenia to sign a bilateral agreement with the United States
pledging not to turn American citizens over to the new International
Criminal Court (ICC), Hina reported from Ljubljana on 18 August (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 13, 14, 15, and 16 August 2002). The Slovenian media
have called the U.S. proposal "outrageous." Rupel said after a meeting
with a U.S. Congressional delegation in Piran that Slovenia will
consult with the EU regarding the matter. Brussels has yet to formulate
a joint position. PM
[68] ...AS DO BOSNIAN MEDIA
Hina reported from Sarajevo on 16 August that the Bosnian joint
presidency has discussed the U.S. proposal with U.S. Ambassador to
Bosnia Clifford Bond. The ambassador denied reports that Washington has
threatened to block Bosnia's membership in Partnership for Peace over
the matter or that the status of SFOR will be affected by it. Bosnian
officials said that the proposal requires "long-term attention" and
that Sarajevo understands but does not agree with it. (Observers note
that what is blocking Bosnia's membership in Partnership for Peace is
its own failure to form a single army with a unified command.) Hina
added that the weekly "Slobodna Bosna" charged that the U.S. proposal
shows that Washington is opposed to human rights. The Croatian news
agency quoted the Sarajevo weekly "Dani" as calling the U.S. position
on the ICC "absurd." PM
[69] ALBANIAN POLICE CHIEF SACKED
Prime Minister Fatos Nano fired Bilbil Mema as head of the police on 19
August because of his failure to stop smugglers' speedboats traveling
between Albania and neighboring countries with cargos of human beings
and drugs, AP reported. The authorities recently launched Operation
Puna (Work) between Saranda and Vlora with the Greek Navy and Italian
customs police to combat trafficking. PM
[70] ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION IS
'CERTAINTY...'
Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana said on 17 August that Romania is
entering a "new stage in its historic development," RFE/RL's Bucharest
bureau reported. Geoana told a forum of young people in Brasov that
Romania is shedding its status as "an eternal candidate for European
and Euro-Atlantic integration" and entering the stage where "this
integration becomes a certainty." He cited as an example of this new
status the accord recently signed with the United States by which
Romania will not extradite U.S. citizens to the International Criminal
Court (ICC). Geoana also said Romania intends to become a vehicle for
the "transmission of Euro-Atlantic values" to other countries in the
region. MS
[71] ...DENIES NATO ADMISSION IS PEGGED TO SETTLEMENT OF BORDER DISPUTE
WITH UKRAINE
Geoana also said in Brasov that NATO is not pressuring Romania to
settle its Black Sea border demarcation dispute with Ukraine, Mediafax
reported. Geoana said NATO is "imposing no conditions" on Romania for
NATO membership, but that it would be "a good thing" if the dispute
could be settled ahead of the alliance's summit in Prague in November.
MS
[72] ROMANIAN PREMIER RECEIVES PROMINENT U.S. SENATORS
Visiting U.S. Senators John McCain (Republican, Arizona) and Fred
Thompson (Republican, Tennessee) were received in Bucharest on 18
August by Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, with whom they discussed
Romania's efforts to join NATO, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. The
prime minister requested McCain's and Thompson's support for Romania's
bid and emphasized that NATO integration is part and parcel of Romanian
society's modernization process. The two senators said they are
interested in all aspects of the reform process in Romania, mentioning
in particular the struggle against corruption, the protection of
children, and the improvement of the business climate. They praised
Romania's signing of the accord with the United States regarding the
ICC, as well as its contribution to the international struggle against
terrorism. McCain and Thompson were to be received on 19 August by
President Ion Iliescu. MS
[73] OSCE FAILS TO ORGANIZE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN MOLDOVA, TRANSDNIESTER
OFFICIALS
Matti Sidoroff, who is the spokesman of the OSCE's mission in Chisinau,
said on 16 August that an OSCE-planned meeting between Chisinau and
Tiraspol negotiators in Chisinau did not take place for "technical
reasons," RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported. Tiraspol rejected the
invitation on the grounds that it was not signed by OSCE mission chief
David Schwartz and because its own chief negotiator, "Foreign Minister"
Valerii Litskay, was on vacation. Sidoroff also announced that the
delegation heads of the three entities mediating the talks -- the OSCE,
Russia, and Ukraine -- will meet in Moscow by the end of the month to
coordinate future moves. Last week, Tiraspol refused to attend a
meeting in Chisinau on 15 August called by Moldovan President Vladimir
Voronin on the grounds that Voronin is not entitled to call such a
meeting, as such an action is exclusively the prerogative of the
mediators. MS
[74] MOLDOVAN PREMIER CONCERNED ABOUT PROGRESS OF ABDUCTION
INVESTIGATION
Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev told Interior Minister Gheorghe Papuc and
Deputy Interior Minister Constantin Clipa on 16 August that he is
concerned about the lack of progress in the investigation into the 2
August abduction of government official Piotr Dimitrov, RFE/RL's
Chisinau bureau reported. Tarlev stressed that the abduction was the
second such occurrence since March, when Popular Party Christian
Democratic (PPCD) Deputy Chairman Vlad Cubreacov was kidnapped in
Chisinau and held prisoner until his abductors, who remain
unidentified, freed him. Tarlev said that the authorities in charge of
"safeguarding public order are not up to their task." Papuc and Clipa
told Tarlev that two suspects in Dimitrov's abduction have been
detained. MS
[75] PPCD LEADER ISSUES EMOTIONAL NATIONALIST APPEAL TO SUPPORTERS IN
MOLDOVAN CAPITAL
On 17 August, PPCD Chairman Iurie Rosca called on supporters to turn
out in large numbers for the planned rally in Chisinau on 1 September,
RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported. He called the rally "our open-space
cathedral" at which "we shall fulfill our holy duty to defend truth,
righteousness, and justice." He said the rally "is authorized by our
love for the nation" and that those who hold these values dear are not
ready "to step back like animals in the face of force imposed on them."
Rosca said the country's Communist rulers are now "sweetening their
lying and venomous tongues" in order to mislead the West and that they
are "planning to denationalize us via federalization." He said that the
protest demonstrations earlier this year were " a sign of grace to the
inheritors of countless generations of Romanians" whose souls "make up
an infinite column raising up to God the Father and return to us
transfigured and full of the Holy Spirit who protects us." Rosca also
said that "we are the New Generation that carries forward in our
youthful arms our ancestors' legacy" and whose duty is to "carefully
pass it on to those who will come after us." MS
[76] BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY OFFICIAL CLAIMS SHOOTOUTS AN ATTEMPT
TO DESTABILIZE GOVERNMENT
Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Boyko Borisov said on 17 August that
shootouts in Sofia on 15 and 16 August in which at least five people
were wounded were aimed at destabilizing the government, BTA reported.
Borisov said following a meeting of Interior Ministry and police
officials that the shootings were connected with the Interior
Ministry's recent attempts to crack down on illegal drug trade.
Bulgarian media reported that the targets of the shootouts were three
men believed to have connections to organized crime in Bulgaria. UB
[77] ...AS BULGARIAN POLICE LAUNCH MASSIVE ANTI-DRUG OPERATION
Following shootouts in Sofia, police launched a massive nationwide
anti-narcotics operation on 17 August, Bulgarian media reported. During
the operation some 800 venues suspected of being used for
narcotics-related activities were searched and police detained some 500
individuals who have drug-related criminal records. Officers found
large quantities of narcotics as well as unregistered firearms during
the operation. UB
[78] BULGARIAN ECONOMY MINISTER VISITS LIBYA
Economy Minister Nikolay Vasilev left Tripoli on 19 August after
completing a two-day working visit, BTA reported. Vasilev headed a
delegation that included Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Ivan Petkov,
Economy Deputy Minister Nikola Yankov, and legislators Ramadan Atalai
and Konstantin Penchev. The delegation met with members of the Libyan
government as well as the chairman of the Libyan Oil Company. "The warm
welcome for the Bulgarian delegation and the meetings that have already
been held, gives us reason to expect a pragmatic spirit of the talks
and good prospects for the future relations between the two countries,"
Vasilev said on 17 August. He announced the next day that General
People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation
Secretary Abd Al-Rahman Shalgam is to visit Bulgaria in the next few
weeks. Bulgarian-Libyan relations are still overshadowed by the ongoing
trial of Bulgarian medical workers who have been accused of
deliberately infecting Libyan children with HIV. UB
END NOTE
[79] There is no End Note today.
|
